Monday, November 18, 2013

Is Sapphire The Answer For iPhone 6?

Apple Inc. has a new love that may only be exceeded by its
love for clean energy. This new love is sapphire glass, and it could just be
the next big thing when it comes to smartphone screens.

Sapphire glass is made through a process that takes more
than two weeks to complete, and requires the ingredients to be heated to 2,100
degrees Celsius. The end result is a product that is virtually scratch proof.
The video below explains how the process works.

Apple’s Arizona Glass
Factory

Apple has invested heavily in a new factory in Arizona that
will manufacture sapphire glass for its new display screens. The agreement
Apple signed with GT Advanced Technologies to produce the glass involved Apple
paying $578 million in advance to the company. The factory will reportedly
create 2,000 jobs in the Mesa area, including the construction jobs involved
with building the facility. In theory, sheets of sapphire could be sliced
thinner than a human hair, which would make it the most lightweight, durable
screen material ever invented.

How Does Sapphire Compare
To Gorilla Glass?

The cost of sapphire compared to manufacturing Corning’s
Gorilla Glass is nearly ten times more expensive. The reason for this is
partially that Gorilla Glass has already been around for a while, so the
process for manufacturing it has been streamlined. However, sapphire glass is a
brand new item on the market, and is sure to be a hot commodity for a while.
The cost for a smartphone screen made out of Gorilla Glass is in the $3 price
range, while a sapphire glass screen will cost closer to $30. Estimates say
that once production of sapphire becomes more commonplace, the cost will be
reduced to only three to four times that of Gorilla Glass.

iPhone 6

Apple is rumored to be prepping the iPhone 6 to launch
sometime next year. According to reports, the phone will utilize sapphire glass
for its display screen, which is highly believable. At the current time, Apple
uses sapphire glass on its iPhone 5s, but only for the Touch ID button, not the
whole screen. If the iPhone 6 sports sapphire glass as its full display, then
the cost of the model will most likely be raised to cover the cost of the added
glass. However, demand is almost guaranteed to be extremely high, given the
indestructible nature of sapphire glass.

Tell us what you think. Will the iPhone 6 have a full
sapphire glass display? Leave your comment below and share your opinion with
others.